Outcomes
Students will identify their own feelings
about coming to a new country. Students will understand vocabulary
associated with emotions. Students will recognise that their
emotions are not unusual amongst people with similar experiences
.

IntroductionThese activities are suitable for newly-arrived,
beginning and intermediate level ESL students. Teachers should
approach students' Paths to Australia sensitively and respect
that many students may feel unable to share their particular
story. However, understanding that many of their class members
have shared experiences and being given the necessary language
skills to express them may encourage those students to join
the class discussions.

Suggested Activities1. Download Feelings handout. This handout
can be adapted into flashcards or an information gap task,
depending on the ability of the students.
2. Teach the emotions illustrated on the handout, for example
using flashcards or concentration, memory or snap games.
3. Download the three OHT masters and copy on to transparencies.
Using the three overlapping transparencies, show Map 1 and
discuss what can be seen. Label transparency. Do the same
with the second and third maps, giving students new vocabulary
such as migrant, refugee, journey as required.
4. Using above stimulus, elicit emotions of students and their
reasons for those emotions when arriving in Australia.
Note: Depending on how long the students have been in the
country, further discuss if these emotions have changed and
why.
5. Make a transparency of Feelings handout. Survey class on
who felt a particular emotion when they arrived in Australia.
Write the number of students next to the emotions. Students
can feel more than one emotion. Results should show that regardless
of background, newly-arrived students often experience the
same emotions.
Additional Strategies If students are newly-arrived/
Students write down their current feelings about being in
Australia. This can be done in their first language or in
English. Students with minimal English may draw a picture
that shows how they feel. Place these in an envelope, re-open
several months later and discuss any changes and possible
reasons for these changes.
As homework, students may write a journal entry on Coming
to Australia.